Body balancing apparatus



1949- R. M. NEWELL 2,478,004

BODY BALANG ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1945 Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BODY BALANCING APPARATUS Roxie M. Newell, St. Louis, Mo.

Application August 20, 1945, Serial No. 611,525

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the type employed in teaching young children to walk and otherwise to exer cise their legs and arms. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus adapted to balance the body of a child supported thereby while walking, while attempting to walk, or while otherwise exercising its limbs.

The improved and novel body balancing appa= ratus of this invention is specifically designed for use in physio-therapy to aid children suffering from spastic paralysis. Children so afilicted as a rule, in addition to being unable to coordinate the muscles of their limbs, also lack body balance, so that heretofore it has required such protracted and tedious effort to overcome these handicaps that frequently they have not been overcome.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel apparatus including means adapted to automatically impart body balance to a child learning to wall: or stand properly.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate in the apparatus a swivel arrangement whereby the body supporting and balancing portions thereof may rotate freely in a horizontal plane.

Other objects include the provision of means whereby the body balancing and supporting portio of the apparatus may be adjusted to accom modate children of various heights, means whereby the vertical resiliency thereof may be varied, and a rail and roller arrangement whereby said body balancing and upporting portion of the apparatus may travel along said rail in either of two directions between spaced limiting stop or abutment members afifixed thereto The apparatus is also designed to be of great assistance to children who had sufiered a broken leg or legs, in that it affords them the same ad vantages outlined above, in regaining their former, normal gait.

While primarily concerned with lower limb therapy, the invention also contemplates the use of handholds, or rings, in conjunction with, and in addition to, said body balancing and supporting means, to enable a spastic child or one whose arm muscles also lack coordination to overcome such handicaps.

Other objects and features will be noted or apparent from the description to follow, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the apparatus comprising my invention as it may appear when not in use, the body supporting means being shown as occupying a position turned ninety degrees from the position it normally occupies when the apparatus is in use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, the greater portion thereof being in elevation, with a lesser portion thereof being in vertical section; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a hand-droid which may also be employed in. the use of the apparatus in some instances.

The preferable embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 wherein a horizontal rail or cylindrical track 5 is shown to be rigidly positioned between the walls 6 of a room or the like l, at a suitable distance from the ceiling 8, and at a predetermined distance from the floor 9 thereof.

Obviously, said horizontal rail or track may be supported or suspended in any other suitable manner.

The body balancing and supporting assembly is suspended from an anti-friction grooved roller 12 whose journal It supports a channel-shaped member M, whose web portion id, as best shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a circular opening or aperture I6. Through this aperture loosely extends the upper end of a vertical stem ll, whose lower end is provided with screw threads, as shown at [8, and whose upper end terminates in an em larged head 19. Preferably, a washer Zil is interposed between the underside of said head l9 and the upper surface of the web it.

Referring again particularly to Fig. 2, it is seen that the stem ll passes freely through an aperture 2| formed centrally in the horizontal web portion 22 of an inverted U-shaped member 23 whose legs are rigidly connected near their lower ends by a transverse pin 2d.

Engaging the screw threads 13 of said stem is nut 25, which supports a removable spring sea in the form of a washer or the like 2%, the latter being centrally apertured to loosely accommodate the stem l1 passing therethrough. A compression spring 2! is interposed between the seat 23 and the underside of the web portion 22.

A flexible element, preferably as here shown, in the form of a stout strap 28, is looped over the pin 24 of member 23, and also over the horizontal pin portion 29 of a bracket 29 rigid with a horizontally disposed crossbar 39. The strap is provided with a longitudinal series of spaced holes and a buckle, whereby the distance between the pin 24 and the crossbar 30 may b increased or decreased, as is understood.

Integrally formed with, or rigidly secured to, the crossbar adjacent each end thereof is a depending bracket or hook member 3! terminating in an upwardly extending portion 32.

A body supporting device or garment 33, of relatively flexible material and substantially of the configuration shown, is provided with supporting straps 34 adapted to be inserted in and looped over the brackets 3|.

It is thus seen that the entire body balancing assembly of the apparatus is suspended above the floor 9, is carried by the roller assembly iii-43, and may travel from right to left, or vice versa, along the rail 5, as indicated by the broken line arrows in Fig. 1. The rail 5 may have aflixed thereto one or more stop or abutment members 35, which may be positioned at selected points to arrest the roller ii! in order to limit its travel.

The adjustments required in the employment of the apparatus obviously depend upon the height, weight, and condition of the child who is to use it. Thus the body supporting garment 33 is suspended a predetermined distance from the floor 9 by making the necessary adjustment in the strap 23. Thereafter, a finer adjustment may be had by manipulation of the nut 25, which also raises or lowers the garment, as is apparent.

It is here noted, however, that the primary pur-- pose of the spring is to regulate the degree of resiliency desired in each case.

For instance, in the case of a child entirely devoid of body balance, a minimum amount of resiliency desired initially, and, as improvement takes place, the resiliency is gradually increased. That is to say the spring 2'! may be replaced by one which is lighter or heavier, as the case may be. Obviously, the weight of the child governs the selection of the proper spring in each instance.

ttention is also directed to the loose fit of the stem i? passing through the aperture i8 where by horizontal rotary movements of said stem may be freely had. The washer 2c, interposed between the web l5 and the head l8 of the stem, is of relatively soft material, minimizing wear of these parts. The aperture 2! of the spring-supported member 23 also loosely surrounds the stem ll, whereby both vertical reciprocatory movements and horizontal rotary movements of said member may be freely had.

In use, as previously stated, the crossbar 36 with the body supporting device 33 suspended thereby is rotated to a position ninety degrees to the right or left from that illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the child walks lengthwise of the rail as is understood. The stop members 35 may be dis pensed with in some installations if desired.

In Fig. 4, a handheld 35 is shown, being typical of similar devices one of which may also be inserted in each hook bracket SI, for treatment of the arms. The upstanding terminal portion 32 of each bracket 3! obviates fortuitous release of the strap 36 or the handhold 3?.

The apparatus illustrated has been found highly effective in the cure of spastic and injured children up to the age of sixteen, and therefore the term child has been used throughout the foregoing description. It is to be understood, however, that similar apparatus, more sturdily built, may be employed in the treatment of adults as well.

Therefore, since the invention is susceptible of modifications and changes without departing from the principle thereof, it is not to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of the class described including a stationary horizontally supported rail, a roller mounted on the rail for reciprocal travel thereon, a journal for the roller, a channel-shaped member whose web portionis apertured mounted on the journal, a vertically disposed stein member passing loosely through said apertured web portion, a head formed on the upper end of said stem, external screw threads formed on the lower end thereof, an adjusting nut in engagement with said screw threads, a removable spring seat res ing on and supported by said nut, an inverted U-shaped member provided with an aperture in its web portion through which said stem loosely passes, a compression spring about said stem interposed between the removable spring seat and said web of the inverted U-shaped member, a transverse pin connecting the legs of the latter near their lower ends, a flexible and longitudinally adjustable strap element supported by the pin, a horizontally disposed crossbar sup-- ported by said flexible element, a body supporting device, and means on the bar whereby said body supporting device may be removably suspended therefrom.

2. Apparatus of the class described including a horizontally disposed stationary supported rail, a roller mounted on the rail for reciprocal travel thereon, a journal for the roller, a channelshaped member Whose web portion is apertured mounted on the journal, a vertically disposed stem member passing loosely through said apertured web portion, a head formed on the upper end of said stem, external screw threads formed on the lower end thereof, an adjusting nut in engagement with said screw threads, a removable spring seat resting on and supported by said nut, an inverted U-shaped member provided with an aperture in its web portion through which said stem loosely passes, a compression spring about said stem interposed between the r n'icvable spring seat and said web of the inverted U -shaped member, a transverse pin connecting the legs of the latter near their lower ends, a flexible and longitudinally adjustable strap element supported by the pin, a horizontally disposed crossbar supported by said flexible element, a hook-shaped bracket depending from said bar adjacent each end thereof, a body supporting garment, flexible straps thereon insertable in said depending brackets, and means comprising an upstanding extension forming the terminal portion of each bracket adapted to prevent fortuitous release of said flexible straps.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rigidly supported horizontally disposed rail member, an anti-friction grooved roller mounted for reciprocal travel thereon, spaced stop members affixed to said rail to limit the reciprocal travel of said roller, a journal for the roller. a channel-shaped member mounted on the ends of and depending from the journal, an aperture in the web portion of the channel-shaped member, a vertically disposed stem terminating in an enlarged head passing loosely through said aperture, a washer interposed between the stem head and said web portion, screw threads provided on the lower end portion of the stem, a nut in engagement therewith, an apertured spring seat surrounding said stem and supported by the nut, a compression spring of selected resiliency about the stem and resting upon the spring seat, an inverted U-shaped member supported on the spring and having an aperture in its web portion through which said vertical stem loosely passes, a horizontal pin rigid with and between the legs of the inverted U-shaped member, a horizontally disposed crossbar, an upwardly extending bracket including a horizontal pin portion rigid therewith, a flexible member whose upper end portion is looped over th pin of the inverted U-shaped member and whose lower end is looped over the bracket pin, means on said flexible member to vary the distance between said pins, a depending hook-shaped bracket adjacent each end of the crossbar, a flexible body supporting garment, flexible looped straps thereon removably insertable in said depending brackets, handholds also insertable therein, and an integral upstanding extension constituting the end of each depending bracket and adapted to obviate fortuitous release of said straps or said handholds.

ROXIE M. NEWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 692,505 Crutchfield Feb. 4, 1902 732,127 Smith June 30, 1903 957,419 Gurley May 10, 1910 2,181,063 Miller Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 555,841 France Apr. 3, 1923 726,666 France Mar. 8, 1932 

